31 Days #25: Getting Out of a Rut

Today, instead of just a video, I have a video AND a tutorial! AND a contest! YAY, me!

The question I’m answering is:

How do I get out of a crafting rut?

After you watch today’s video, scroll down for a special tutorial on creating a cute Happy Birthday tag using Faber-Castell Getalo ™ Colors.

So, if you’re ready to get yourself out of a crafting rut (if you’re in one!) then it’s time to get playing. Pull out a new product or queue up a tutorial on Youtube, and get crafting!

I have been so happy to be a Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft brand ambassador for the past few weeks! Hopefully you caught the simple scrapbooking layout I created using the Stamper’s Big Brush Gift Set. And today, I have a step-by-step for this cute feminine birthday tag.

Here’s what you’ll need:

-Tag (you can use a pre-made one, or cut one to size from a piece of card stock or watercolor paper, which is what I did).

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Spray the tag with a substantial amount of Glimmer Mist or regular water. The Gelatos ™ Colors are water-based, so they’ll react to the water like watercolors. Cool!

2. Using the Gelatos ™ Colors, scribble a design on the wet tag. I love how the Gelatos ™ Colors are created to work together — no guesswork! (You can see in the picture above how they’re already starting to blend… I added another few squirts of Glimmer Mist after I scribbled!

3. Get in there with your fingers and start moving the colors around, blending and spreading. This is the fun part! Get a little dirty and make sure the colors are well-blended. Pretend you’re finger painting — because you are!

4. If you are impatient like I am, hit the tag with a heat gun (being careful not to get too close to the paper, and to keep the gun moving over the surface). Or just set it aside if you are the type who doesn’t start poking at the Christmas presents a week before Christmas. (I don’t like you).

Now, we’re going to create a background texture for the tag. I used a tiny dot stamp and a Faber-Castell Big Brush. Again, totally coordinated with the Gelatos ™ Colors!

I just brushed the surface of the stamp with the Big Brush and stamped. Doesn’t that look cool? I wanted a more textured look, so I was careful NOT to make it perfect!

Keep that Big Brush handy — we’re going to use it again!

5. I thought the edges of my tag needed a little definition, so I pooled some ink by scribbling with the same Big Brush on my craft mat, then spraying it with a squirt or two of Glimmer Mist. I picked up the color with a brush (conveniently included in my Gelatos ™ Colors set!) and used it to edge the tag.

I love products you can do double (or triple) duty with!

6. Now it’s time to start layering and embellishing! I started with a circle of patterned paper punched from scraps. We’re starting to see texture and dimension here! Look how beautiful the Gelatos ™ Colors dried! Wow!

7. Stamping time! Using the cute floral stamp that was included in my Gelatos ™ Colors set and the pinky-red colors from the Stamper’s Big Brush set, I stamped a few flowers down the side of my tag.

All this tone-on-tone creates many layers and a lot of visual interest without making the tag “heavy.” And because the colors all work together, I don’t have to even think about matching! They just do! Yahoo!

8. Next I started to add a strip of vellum that adds even more dimension but with a semi-transparent effect. But then I decided it needed a stamp, too.

So I stamped another flower and heat-embossed it with clear embossing powder. It’s shiny and raised — yes, MORE layers! I trimmed the edges, then secured it with my Tiny Attacher from Tim Holtz (how did I live without it??).

9. Finally, I added jewels to the center of my flowers, spelled out “Happy Birthday” in pink letters, and finished it off with a strip of polka-dotted patterned paper along the top edge.

Now I’ve got a little tag for a special someone!

NOW FOR THE CONTEST!

Faber-Castell and Design Memory Craft were so generous that I have some goodies to give away. I couldn’t use them all! So please do the following:

You will be entered to win a set of Mix & Match PITT (r) Pastel Pencils!

Unlike messy chalks, PITT® Pastel Pencils give you the velvety chalk color you desire without all the dust and mess. Use these versatile pastels to create soft blended color edgings along cards, scrapbook and journal pages. Pastel Pencils can also be used to create strong vibrant lines with the sharpened points. Combine both techniques for a contrasting effect. These pencils sharpen easily with a standard sharpener and unlike other brands the color “leads” are glued the entire length of the barrel to protect against breakage. Blend with just a fingertip or blending stump and mistakes can be easily erased with an eraser. Try Pastel Pencils on dark and light papers, smooth or textured, even sandpaper. Made with the highest quality, professional-grade pigments that are lightfast and archival. Mix and match Pastel Pencils with PITT® Artist Pens and Art GRIP® Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils for a variety of exciting new techniques on all your creative projects.

Giveaway closes at midnight-ish on Friday, July 27. Winner will be announced Monday, July 30, and prize must be claimed by Midnight on July 31, 2012.

Facebook liked, tutorial pinned and tweeted! Thanks for the chance to win! Also thank you for continuing to do these videos!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PKLJSUEMMIKLHTX3HSMEAX4ENM Alison

Hi Lain. Great tutorial! Those pens (are they pens?) look like so much fun! Love how you edges the tag with them. I’ve liked them on FB and pinned your tutorial to my board. thanks for the chance to win some so we can play and get messy too!

Skbscraps

Another fun day. So wish we were neighbors then you wouldn’t have to send me a prize you could just drop it by. I liked and tweeted. Would love to win. Thanks for sharing your creativity and opportunities!

Tiffani

Tagged it on Pinterest!

Angela A

Love the card and how the colors blend so well. I liked the FB page. Thanks for the giveaway.

benessi

Liked on FB! The pencils look interesting, I’m not into chalks so might have to give them a try. Gelatos are delish, even the name is delish!

LauraZM

Liked, pinned and tweeted! Def made me think about the difference btwn a rut and style – all attitude.

LauraZM

What is the difference between the three types of pencils Faber-Castelll offers. I love the effect from chalk so would the PITT ones be the ones to choose? But I noticed they also have a GRIP line and a GRIPwatercolor version. How or when would you use those? Very curious…

Wendyp81

Can’t wait to try mixing the BB markers with Glimmer Mist! Never thought to try that! I liked, tweeted and pinned

Kathy Meredith56

Hadn’t heard of the gelatos before! Can’t wait to try them. Liked and pinned! Thanks for a chance to win! The video was great, too!